My Dad turns a youthful 72 on the 14th, but my Mom is throwing a little thing on Sunday afternoon. He's tough to buy for because he isn't wanting for much. A semi-retired computer systems consultant type, he pretty much has all the gizmos covered. He even took to a chomby for the home office. Given these lovely economic times, the family is reitering on cutting back on gift purchasing. He's always been a big classical music fan, but has little use for much of anything post 1900. He would periodically appear at my bedroom door when I was in high school studying to Yes or Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, but the Clash would send him on his way. That's why I couldn't help but laugh when he mentioned he'd like an ABBA cd. One of my wisenheimer daughters was teasing him a little about Dancing Queen coming out of his Ipod, when he responded with an almost scholarly take on "the classical structure in some of their music." Might very well be true, but sounded silly nonetheless. So, Dad, here comes ABBA's greatest hits for your big day.

I think that burning smell was my 401K.

Survived two sessions of Bikram Yoga. I was a little scared that after the first one, I'd be too stiff and sore, but that wasn't the case. After a busy day of work and late meetings, I had to scramble to get there on time yesterday and must have been closer to one of the heating units. I wasn't so much sweating as I was crying from every pore. Can't balance much to save my life, but the trials of the day and the effects of the first session had me taking a knee a couple of times.

Why does John McCain think I care about Obama and Ayers? I don't.

Why does Sarah Palin want to bring up Rev. Wright again when somebody could show the video of her and her preacher riding her of witches?

Ch. 4 stiffed me on coverage of the Tiger Cubs birthday party on Tuesday. There was plenty of cute video to be had, from hopped on cake kindergartners to the cubs destroying their cardboard, meat-scented cake. Usually, the tv news divisions eat that stuff up. Unless of course, said tv channel is in a pissing match with the cubs' sponsor, in this case, Time Warner Cable. Yes, the Buffalo media outlets are indeed that petty.

Definitely want to see the Bill Maher movie. He was on Jon Stewart the other night and it looks like a lot of asking of good questions.

Sabres Opening Night is tonight and I'd be more excited if it didn't cost so damn much to see them, so my couch is going to have to do.

Won an Ipod Classic from one of the exhibitors from conference/trade show I was just at in September. That was a nice bonus from otherwise unremarkable week in Wisconsin.

Snagged a flu shot for the first time in forever yesterday, no reaction today. Life can be good,

And how was your week?

Every once in awhile, I miss my compadres at Adelphia, but this weekend was not one of them. The slapfight between Lin Broadcasting (Ch. 4's owner) and Time Warner assured that the people who do the real work would be taking the brunt of the frustration from the people caught in the middle...us customers. This might sound like apologizing or ass kissin, but it isn't. Lord knows both can be greedy pigs, but Time Warner is in the right this time. From my former life, I can tell you that the local stations in a area have agreements with the cable, satellite, and Fios guys for carriage. There is actually a lawsuit waged by local tv stations to get on a given system. Now Lin TV wants paid, for something they really aren't entitled to. My experience with this is when Fox 29 was at the end of its deal with Dish Network and ran on screen crawls encouraging everybody to go get cable. Every station is a little fickle. You dance with who you have at a given moment.

Lin TV owns 12 stations in markets mostly around the great lakes. When Fox 29 came to the end of their agreement almost two years ago, they let TW keep showing them while the negotiations kept going. 29's parents had a lot at stake. The same firm owns NBC in LA.
Lin decided to cut off Buffalo, but the local station that shows the Packers to Green Bay (that had to be ugly) as well as their other markets. If I am an advertiser (like I am now), I'm pissed because they just took over 330,000 out of the loop because they felt like it. If I'm a paying cable customer (like I am now), I'm miffed because there are two channels doing nothing, yet I'm stuck paying for them.

While they talk, it would behoove Lin to put the channels back up. Both sides are going to take a beating for their stances, but Lin has a chance to actively be a "good guy" and place their signals back on.

I guess my point is that moving to Dish, Verizon, etc doesn't insulate you from such foolishness as they have to work with broadcasters under similar agreements. I'm not saying that because I used to be there or that my former Amherst office had a thousand people waiting for antenna on Saturday, but in the battle of overstuffed corporate entities, Lin is the one who could lose this time and throw the switch to put their signal on.

I can appreciate taking a stand, but perhaps there was a better way of digging in their heels.

Just in case you haven't seen it yet...

"Maybe in Ohio, but not in America"

Hee!

I WILL NOT complain about my job,


EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

I don't often get a hand in naming something, so I brag, not only for the sake of the great 25k push, but also because you can't help but take a good picture while inside. Just close your mouth before you look up.

Missing Image ;(

This is a cool gig

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old rancher, who's hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Palin and her bid.

The old rancher said, "Well, ya know, Palin is a Post Turtle'".

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was.

The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post turtle".

The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain. "You know she didn't get up there by herself, she doesn't belong up there, and she doesn't know what to do while she's up there, and you just wonder what kind of dummy put her up there to begin with".

Every once in awhile, plans can go awry...or even pumpernickel. I had a meeting to go to in Niagara Falls yesterday afternoon. I was sort of looking forward to the meeting, not for it and of itself, but for the chance to get out of the office.

Yesterday did look a little gloomy, but no ride can't be made better by cranking up the Ipod expodentially. The gathering was at the Hard Rock Cafe (franchise, I know, but hey it was a change from boring old conference rooms). Being a semi-frequent visitor to that area, I remembered that after Labor Day, some of the parking gets cheaper, like along Goat Island and places like that. We got directed to the three lots closest to the Hard Rock to park. I zip across the street and promptly get hosed for $10.00 (!?!?!) for access to not awhole lot. No street parking and the other option was to pay the ten spot to the flag waving monkey on the other corner. Mumbling, grumbling and cursing a little like Popeye, I parked. I was 15 feet from my car when you hear that tell-tale thump, thump, thump. A couple of seagulls with digestive issues opened fire on my car and the one next to it. Perfect! There was a freaking relief map on my sunroof of bird poop.

That yanked any enthusiasm I had for this gathering before it even got off the ground. Forgot to chime in much or just didn't want to network much until the end of the meeting, when the lovely people at the Hard Rock Cafe announced food and drink to end the meeting. Hard Rock has Guinness! except yesterday. I made due with some comlimentary Stella Artois and some stuffed mushrooms. Nice combo. Made me quite content will gathering strange looks at Delta Sonic. Guess the grey skies made them think nobody would wash their car yesterday.

Now, I just got to replace the missing (e:strip) bumper sticker on back. Got any left, Paul?

I was looking at these and wondering what you "wash'em" down with, a shake made of lard? Notice nobody is picking them up












Got to admire the plentiful availability of after dinner smokes too :)

outside my apartment late on a Sunday night.

I was basically spent yesterday. I had an event at the Zoo that I was the big cheese Saturday afternoon and evening. It was basically 7 hours of running around the grounds that I knew was coming but didn't make it less painful trying to hang through the B-52s (but I made it).

Woke up yesterday feeling like somebody beat me up, but muddled through. Went to one meeting, Wegman's and stumbled home. Alternately watched & dozed in front of the Bills game. After Brothers & Sisters, I put my carcass into bed. Just as I'm settling into that nice feeling of sleep getting ready to overtake, my intercom goes off. I stagger into the living room thinking who the hell would be calling at 11:45 on a Sunday night. Turned out to be one of the more "colorful" residents of the neighborhood who, aside from being three sheets to the wind, was ringing doorbells asking (I kid you not) for help "Getting back to Lancaster." Sure, I'll open the door and give you money.....NOT. I politely declined the offer, but she went to the next door and rang a bell, promptly picking a fight with the next respondant, screaming "What's Wrong with you?" into the intercom. I'm thinking the bastard didn't want some fool ringing his doorball late at night but I'd just be guessing.

She stomps off and within seconds I hear cops arriving. With lights flashing on the Delaware side of my building, a metro cop car and a regular buffalo cop had pulled up and were questioning her. Don't mess with my building mates. It must have been a slow night because while this was going on, FOUR more Buffalo cars showed up. I suspect largely for the entertainment value, but you can't help but think ugly thoughts. Yeah, the woman was disruptive, but there was no way 5 to 7 Buffalo guys needed to be standing around. Scenes like that can make your sleep deprived imagination run truly amuck. One guy talked her down and sent her on her way without incident. Thankfully.